Bush has it covered - Biloxi Sun-Herald
...Bush will make an appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated when it hits newsstands this week. Fantasy football is the focus of this week's issue and Bush will be featured as a player worth the risk in drafting.

"I don't think there is a more interesting and intriguing story in football today than Reggie Bush," said SI spokesman Rick McCabe.

McCabe said putting a rookie on the cover of a fantasy football edition isn't the norm. But Bush's potential makes him one of the most talked about fantasy players going into the 2006 season.

Bush is no stranger when it comes to being the cover boy for Sports Illustrated. The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner graced the magazine's cover three times during his highlight-filled career at the University of Southern California. This will be his fourth overall appearance and first as a pro...

Also, DOTTED-LINE DANCE - New Orleans Times Picayune
Saints' top pick Bush likely to hold out - Jackson Clarion-Ledger
DO RIGHT MEN: REGGIE BUSH - Essence

[Dilbeck] 'The Steamer' was one of a kind - LA Daily News
...Bud Furillo was an original. He worked hard, played hard, drank hard, lived hard.

He was an absolute character. Equal parts moodiness and brilliance, old-school and innovator, teacher and celebrity, wild and serious.

He was all sports journalist. Ink flowed in his veins, even years after he left as sports editor of the old Herald-Examiner to devote his full attention to sports radio...

...None were closer to his heart than USC football; he was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. He spent five decades covering sports in L.A...

Also, Bud Furillo, 80; Covered Southland Sports - LA Times
[Keisser] Many are better off for Furillo - Long Beach Press-Telegram
[Keisser] Newspaper, radio icon, Furillo, dies - Long Beach Press-Telegram

2006 Preseason Rankings - College Football News
...1. USC Predicted Finish: 11-1...

...There isn't a more talented roster in America with a who's who of high school all-stars brought in by Pete Carroll...but there are big things to worry about...Even with all the question marks, the Trojans should be in the mix for yet another national title appearance thanks to great coaching, great players, and a great schedule that's tailor-made for a championship...

...Relative Strengths: receiver, linebacker
Relative Weaknesses: secondary, special teams

Ten Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time - College Football News
...Fiutak...2. Matt Leinart, USC...Talk about your money players, the guy went 39-2 as a starter, completed 70 of 109 passes for 1,024 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception in his three bowl games. He won a Heisman, was in the mix for another, won a BCS national title, two AP national titles, and was the leader of one of the great runs in the history of college football...

...Cirminiello...1. Matt Leinart, USC (2003-05) – Cackle if you must, but I defy you to find a more accomplished quarterback in the history of college football...he had a near-perfect career, making this a clear choice...

...Harris...2. Matt Leinart, USC – Transcendent moment – 4th and 9, fourth quarter, less than 2 minutes left at Notre Dame – the audible to the “sluggo” route to Dwayne Jarrett, to be followed by the QB sneak for six...

Athlon Sports 2006 USC Preview - Athlon Sports
...This is the only school in America that could say goodbye to a Matt Leinart and a Reggie Bush, wish good luck to the likes of LenDale White, Winston Justice and Darnell Bing and still be confident of competing for a national championship.

This is coach Pete Carroll's year to re-load, and before anyone feels too sorry for him, understand that the two players vying to replace Leinart were both regarded as the top prep quarterback in America their senior years. Bush, like Leinart, will be missed, but there's a roll-call list of young, highly regarded runners anxious to win the job at tailback.

This is a team that went 37-2 the past three seasons, with both of those losses coming by three points. Enough quality players return, buoyed by a string of recruiting classes regarded among the finest in the country, to give USC another shot at being in the middle of the BCS mix...

Eagles sign 2d draft pick - Philly Inquirer
...Team president Joe Banner and his fellow contract negotiator, Howie Roseman, do have a different deadline, however, because the Eagles will be the first team to open training camp when rookies and selected veterans report Thursday evening to Lehigh University.

Winston Justice, the team's second-round pick out of Southern Cal, became the latest player to get a deal done when he agreed to a four-year contract with the Eagles worth $3.71 million. The deal includes a $2.1 million signing bonus and minimum base salaries over the life of the deal.

"It was important for Winston and his family that the deal be completed before the start of camp, as it is for every rookie," said Gary Uberstine, the agent who negotiated the deal for Justice. "Nobody wants to start off on the wrong foot."...

Also, Eagles ink Justice to four-year contract - Trenton Times
Eagles seek, sign Justice - Allentown Morning Call
Second-round pick Justice signs - Bucks County Courier-Times

Cashing in on his dreams - Stockton Record
When Stockton native Chris Cash shares his life story, he can say with conviction that anything is possible - if you apply your mind, body and spirit...

...The former Franklin High standout and current Atlanta Falcons cornerback has beaten the odds personally and professionally. He overcame physical problems as a child, the trappings of drugs and the violence of gangs that were rampant in his neighborhood...

...Cash likes to quote a motto from the 2002 NFL rookie symposium...

..."Choices, decisions, consequences," he said. "There are good choices and bad choices, which are you going to choose? The consequences come from the decisions you make."...

[Adande] Running Commentary From a Heisman Winner - LA Times
The two images and accompanying thoughts are stuck in my mind, snapshots from Heisman Trophy-winning seasons spaced 10 years apart.

One was a vision of Reggie Bush effortlessly breaking away from a crowd and sprinting downfield, followed by the realization that you can't tackle Reggie Bush by yourself. The first guy on the scene never does.

The other goes back to 1995, as I stood on the sidelines at an Ohio State practice and watched Eddie George emerge from the backfield and head my way. As he grew closer and closer...it seemed as if he should be wearing license plates, not a uniform number...

...Their styles were completely different. While Bush is the perfect cover boy for the newest NCAA football video game (some of his moves could be pulled off only with cheat codes), George was about as dazzling as Pong...

Lutui signs 4-year deal - Arizona Republic
Deuce Lutui signed his first professional contract Tuesday, a four-year deal that will give the Cardinals depth on the offensive line and comic relief in the locker room.

All is good, said Lutui, the team's second-round pick, a guard out of Southern California. A childhood dream has come true. "I'm officially a Cardinal," he said...

...Asked how he planned to celebrate, the 6-foot-4, 338-pounder laughed and said, "With a buffet, my friend."...

Also, Lutui officially in fold, signs four-year deal - East Valley Tribune

2006 CFN All-America - College Football News
...QB Honorable Mention: John David Booty, Jr. USC...

...Wide Receivers First Team: Dwayne Jarrett, Jr. USC...

...Wide Receivers Honorable Mention: Steve Smith, Sr. USC...

...Centers Second Team: Ryan Kalil, Sr. USC...

...Offensive Tackles Second Team: Sam Baker, Sr. USC...

...Defensive Ends Second Team: Lawrence Jackson, Jr. USC...

...Defensive Tackles Honorable Mention: Sedrick Ellis, Jr. USC...

2006 CFN Redshirt Freshman All-America Team - College Football News
...QB Mark Sanchez, USC – He may not start a game in 2006, but then again, Sanchez could also leapfrog John David Booty and blossom into one of the premier pro-style quarterbacks in the country. He’s got that much ability and, hands down, is the most talented redshirt freshman at the position...

...Charles Brown looks like USC’s edition of Erik Winston, the former Miami tight end that became a force at tackle. Brown is still a little light, but the coaches are in awe of his athleticism...

Dwayne Jarrett assumes role of playmaker at USC - Athlon Sports
There are no wide receivers in the nation who make more of an impact on a game than Dwayne Jarrett...

...As a sophomore last fall, Jarrett led the nation with 16 touchdown catches, but his biggest catch, and arguably his signature play so far, didn’t go for a touchdown. It was a 61-yard catch-and-run on fourth and nine with less than a minute to play setting up the winning touchdown against Notre Dame. It was his career-long catch.

In addition to his heroics in South Bend, Jarrett was a bright spot in SC’s narrow loss to Texas in the Rose Bowl with 10 catches for 121 yards and a score. He finished the 2005 season as a consensus All-American.

Jarrett is 6’5” and mind-numbingly athletic...

Even at 89, Zamperini still has life on the run - Daily Breeze
Louis Zamperini, the legendary miler/war hero from Torrance and USC, long ago proved he could go the distance.

Fresh out of Torrance High, where he set national records that lasted for years, he made the 1936 Olympic team in the 5,000-meter run and finished eighth at the Berlin Games. His best years were certainly ahead of him, as he proved while twice winning the NCAA mile (1938-39) and setting a national college record (4:08.3) that lasted 15 years.

Unfortunately for Zamperini, World War II ended his track career just when he might have evolved into the best miler in the world. But he proved his staying power and greatness in another way during the war...

[Sobhani] Mr. Irrelevant - CNNSI
...Mr. Irrelevant: the last guy picked in the NFL Draft.

Each year, the owner of this dubious distinction is roasted, toasted and feted in a week-long fiesta in Newport Beach, Calif. that has come to be known as "Irrelevant Week."

The concept of irrelevance is something we can all relate to, especially former USC split end-turned-community-philanthropist and businessman Paul Salata, who created this tribute to obscurity. "It's always been that a few stars get the attention and they always have something nice to say about their supporting cast," said Salata. "So I figured those people were important, too."...

[Corso] Jackets can beat Irish - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
...Lee Corso is set to begin his 53rd season as a player, coach or television analyst. Corso...sat down with the Journal-Constitution's Tony Barnhart and gave us 10 predictions for the 2006 season...

...4. USC's dynasty isn't over yet.

The Trojans lost Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, but they have had the No. 1 recruiting class three out of the last four years. Two USC quarterbacks (Carson Palmer, Leinart) have won the Heisman over the past four seasons. Mark Sanchez will be the next great SC quarterback...

Kirtman signs with Seahawks - Seattle Times
Fullback David Kirtman, the Seahawks' fifth-round draft selection this past spring, signed a four-year contract with the Seahawks, the team announced Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Kirtman, a Mercer Island native who played at USC, is the Seahawks' second draft choice to sign this offseason. He joins punter Ryan Plackemeier, the first of the team's two seventh-round picks.

"I'm excited and ready to get some pads on," Kirtman said...

Hold the eulogies, he's not ready to sign off yet - Boston Globe
...Art Buchwald took another spoonful of vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate sauce. A foghorn sounded in the distance...

...Last winter, Buchwald's right leg was amputated, his kidneys were failing, and doctors told him he would die unless he consented to dialysis.

Buchwald, the famously contrarian political columnist, refused. He checked into a Washington hospice and prepared for the grave. Friends wrote eulogies...

...Two weeks, a month, then five months passed, and Buchwald did not die. His health improved, baffling his doctors. And on July 1, he walked out the door. Only about 1 in 10 American hospice patients ever leaves alive. Now, Buchwald is back in the place he loves most, struck anew by the gift of life...

Indio's Lua stays grounded despite his many successes - Desert Sun
Oscar Lua isn't resting on his laurels.

Even though the 22-year-old Indio High School graduate played in the 2006 Rose Bowl and is consistently ranked among the nation's best middle linebackers, he's not waiting around for an NFL team to come calling with a million-dollar contract.

"I'm going to have something to fall back on," he said.

Lua just earned his bachelor's degree in urban planning and development from the University of Southern California. He plans to return next year for his master's at USC and will play football in the fall.

Last week, he was inducted into the Indio Youth Hall of fame...

Panel OKs Plan for Housing Near USC - LA Times
Hoping to relieve a student housing and parking shortage near USC, the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency on Thursday approved a $135-million project at Figueroa Street and Jefferson Boulevard.

The University Gateway Project, proposed by Los Angeles developers Urban Partners, would include a student bookstore, a restaurant and fitness center as well as housing for more than 1,600 students and a 770-space parking structure shared by students and retail customers...

...area residents were divided on the project, with some fearing additional traffic congestion and others welcoming the prospect of new development — and nearly 700...jobs...

[Dodd] A decade of greatness packed into six years - CBS Sportsline
...Here is the All-Decade Team:

Quarterback
Matt Leinart, USC: An easy choice...10,693 yards and 99 touchdowns...two national titles...a Heisman...a 37-2 record as a starter...

Running backs
Reggie Bush, USC: Some people consider Bush the most exciting player in college history...

...Wide receivers...
...Mike Williams, USC: He only played two seasons...would have been the best receiver...

...Coach
Pete Carroll, USC: This really doesn't need any explanation...

Austin hitches a ride - Pasadena Star-News
The wait is over for Pasadena High School star forward Kyle Austin, who signed a scholarship agreement Thursday to play basketball at USC.

"I felt good; I felt relieved," Austin said after USC offered him a full scholarship. "All I wanted to do was play in the Pac-10."...

...Austin, 6-foot-7, was the Pacific League's MVP for the past two seasons and helped the Bulldogs reach the CIF-Southern Section finals two seasons ago...

Mayo not committed - Cincy Enquirer
North College Hill star O.J. Mayo has not committed to play basketball at Southern California, as some reports indicated this week. But Mayo said Thursday that USC is first on his list of potential colleges...

..."Me and Bill are still looking at Florida and K-State," Mayo told the Herald News (West Paterson, N.J.). "But USC is first on my list, and then K-State and Florida."...

Also, ABCD Camp Mayo leaning toward Southern Cal. - West Paterson Herald News
Mayo holds court, tongue - NY Daily News
[Weiss] He just wants to be No. 1 - NY Daily News
Heralded Hoop Star Doesn't Reveal Plans - Washington Post
Dunbar's Pogue linked with O.J. Mayo at USC - Dayton Daily News
Prep star Mayo not committed yet - USA Today

Sidelined - LA Daily News
The self-proclaimed "greatest marching band in the history of the universe" has lost its prime seats at the Coliseum so the University of Southern California can accommodate more ticket-buying fans for football games.

USC's marching band, which spent at least 30 years stationed behind the Trojans' bench for home games, will sit behind the end zone in a temporary section of bleachers known as the Sun Deck.

USC officials claim that with sellout crowds of more than 90,000 a regular occurrence, the band needs to move for "acoustic" purposes to reach the entire Coliseum.

Band director Arthur Bartner said athletic director Mike Garrett suggested the idea...

Best-selling author to read in Rhinebeck - Poughkeepsie Journal
..."Talk, Talk," like much of Boyle's work, treads the line between humor and drama, as it details the struggle of a deaf victim of identity theft and her quest to find and confront the thief, including a cross-country journey from California to the Hudson Valley.

The thief, Peck Wilson, is a native son of Peterskill, N.Y., the imaginary town in much of Boyle's writing that is based on Peekskill, where he was born and raised. Despite his permanent relocation to California to teach at the University of Southern California, Boyle said the Hudson Valley will always feel like home..

..."I will always feel that I am an outsider here," Boyle said of California, noting that his experiences living in New York allow him to appreciate the landscape and weather of his adopted home...

Superfish splashes in LA - Daily Telegraph
FROM Superfish to superstar - Olympic champion Ian Thorpe isn't wasting any time making a splash in his new Hollywood surrounds.

Just two weeks since relocating to Los Angeles, the Thorpedo has received a red carpet welcome into Aussiewood by filmstar buddies Heath Ledger and Joel Edgerton...

...The Thorpedo reportedly paid a million dollars for his new two bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills, located half an hour from his temporary training base at the University of Southern California.

Despite its hefty price tag, Flaskis described the Superfish's latest holding tank as "modest"...

L.A. Jail Bars N.Y. Times Reporter Who Was Let In to Speak With Pellicano - LA Times
The Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles has barred a New York Times reporter from the facility for allegedly misrepresenting herself in an effort to interview Anthony Pellicano...

...Allison Hope Weiner, who has written about the Pellicano case, got into the jail last month after presenting a State Bar of California card and asking to speak with the investigator. Weiner, who earned a degree 20 years ago from the USC law school, is registered with the California bar but has never done legal work for Pellicano or the New York Times...

[Katz] Sources: O.J. Mayo told USC staff he was committing - ESPN
O.J. Mayo, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2007, told the USC coaching staff and players last week that he would commit to the Trojans, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

The 6-foot-4 Mayo, as recognizable a high school recruiting name as LeBron James and Greg Oden, made the statement while on his unofficial recruiting visit last week in Los Angeles. He still needs to make that sentiment public, though...

..."[Mayo] could change a program and give it instant credibility," said one source. "He sees the big market and knows that he's not too far away from being marketed. [Going to USC] would only help him and he's confident enough to win a national championship."...

Also, Mayo to remain a Trojan - Cincy Enquirer
Trojans add Mayo - LA Daily News
[Modesti] Welcome to new class: Cynicism 101 - LA Daily News
Huggins loses top recruit - Topeka Capital-Journal

USC toughest, deepest at linebacker - Athlon Sports
...1. USC
USC welcomes back all three starting linebackers from one of the top units in the nation. Middle backer Oscar Lua led the Trojans in tackles in 2005...Rey Maualuga will be a star at middle linebacker...Weak-side linebacker Keith Rivers was an unsung hero of the Notre Dame game...Thomas Williams started on the strong side in six games before a knee injury curtailed his season...Brian Cushing started the last four games...as a true freshman. Dallas Sartz, a starter in 2003 and ’04...is also back, and two of the nation’s most heralded freshmen — Allen Bradford and Michael Morgan — will enroll in the fall...

Colton star takes his game to USC - San Bernardino Sun
...Bradford said USC coach Pete Carroll addressed the freshmen recently and delivered the message that his recruits were no longer big fish in a small pond.

"It was nice to get the Ken Hubbs Award (for his prep career) and to make All-American, but everybody here is All-American," Bradford said. "Everyone is good."...

..."It's cool," Bradford said. "You can feel the tradition here, and you want to be a part of it. It makes you work hard to get things done on the field and in the classroom."...

[DeShazier] Bush already deserves to be Rookie of Year - New Orleans Times-Picayune
...Think of any player who has done more BEFORE he got paid?

Now, there's a benefit to this for Bush, and that's the windfall of positive publicity he receives for his benevolence...

...The cynic in you says he can give away that amount, times 20, because the money doesn't belong to him. Well, that probably isn't as true as you'd like to believe...

...Instead of urging his sponsors (adidas and Hummer, so far) to make donations he could have fattened his own wallet, and no one would have been the wiser...

Also, Fans Put Faith in a New Saint - Washington Post
Saints a welcome sight to New Orleans' natives - USA Today

Wimbley has a mentor in McGinest - Official Cleveland Browns Website
...Now a 13-year veteran, McGinest will undoubtedly play a crucial part in the development of Wimbley, as well as the entire linebacking corps. Not only is McGinest a prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker with deep familiarity with the scheme, but he's by far the most experienced player on the unit.

He has 171 games of NFL experience with 146 starts. He's got 18 games of playoff experience (16 starts) with three Super Bowl rings and a pair of Pro Bowl appearances. He has 700 career tackles and 78 career sacks.

Wimbley said McGinest, who sat out the team's full-squad minicamp while recovering from elbow surgery, already has been serving as a knowledgeable adviser...

Seau's career appears over - North County Times
This has to be the strangest month Junior Seau has experienced.

For the first time in his adult life, Seau enters July without being part of a football team.

It's beginning to look more and more as though Seau's distinguished NFL career is coming to an end. The only person who has not come to grips with that fact is Seau.

When we talked recently, Seau cautioned me, "There is no story with me. I know you are champing at the bit, but there is no story."

I disagree.

It's news when a 16-year veteran, a 12-time Pro Bowl selection and one of the most popular players to ever step on the field is unemployed on the eve of training camps...

Trojans awfully strong upfront - Athlon Sports
1. USC
It might be surprising to find USC atop the offensive line list, considering the departures since the 2005 season. But the Trojans are the only team that can boast two returning players who earned All-America mention last fall. Junior Sam Baker has started every game at left tackle for two consecutive years...Center Ryan Kalil also enters his third year as a starter...Jeff Byers returns to the guard position he had nailed down as a true freshman...Coach Pete Carroll can fill in the blanks with tackles Kyle Williams and Charlie Brown, and guards Matt Spanos and Chilo Rachal...

Trojans boast top receiving corps - Athlon Sports
1. USC
For the second year in a row, USC is the recipient of the Athlon Award for pass-catchers. Headlining the group is big, athletic Dwayne Jarrett, who last year caught 91 passes for 1,274 yards and a school-record-tying 16 touchdowns after breaking onto the national scene with a 55-catch, 13-touchdown freshman campaign in 2004...Lining up on the other end of the formation from Jarrett is senior Steve Smith, who averaged 16 yards per catch on 60 pass receptions and carries a career average of 16.3 yards with 13 touchdowns. Patrick Turner, like Jarrett, is 6'5" and freakishly good...Tight end Fred Davis is primed for a breakout...

Hire Education ... 1-25 - College Football News
Ranking the Head Coaches You'd Want for the Next Few Years...

...1. Pete Carroll, USC – Critics point to USC’s deep pool of local prep talent and assume any coach can be plugged into the job, and 10-win seasons will churn out. Those critics are sorely misguided. Carroll did not take over a well-oiled machine when he arrived in 2001. In fact, the once proud Trojans were mired in mediocrity and the last 10-win season had happened in 1988. After losing six games by a combined 29 points in his debut season, Carroll has led USC to a 48-4 record, four straight Pac-10 titles, three BCS bowl wins and at least a share of two national championships. His high energy, low stress coaching style has been a smashing success with the players, and his ability to make in-game adjustments and attract blue-chip talent from all over the country is second to none...

A fresh start - OC Register
...when the Trojans' training camp opens in one month, quarterbacks John David Booty and Mark Sanchez must prove to their coaches, their teammates and themselves that there are no lingering effects from the back injury and arrest, respectively, that leveled them.

"Now guys are looking to me, and I want to show them what kind of leader I'll be and what I'm capable of doing," said Booty, who is first on USC's depth chart and the likely starter for the Trojans' opener at Arkansas since his recovery from surgery has gone better than expected. "That's what this offseason and summer are all about.

"I want them to get a feel for me. It's not something that can just happen when we play Arkansas."...

Happy? Let's Sum It Up - LA Times
Midway into his career as a professor, USC's Richard Easterlin deduced something that seemed astonishing, at least for an economist: Money doesn't buy happiness...

...Things are looking up these days for Easterlin, 80, and the small but increasingly visible network of researchers relying on the so-called dismal science of economics to find the keys to happiness.

If earning more money generally does surprisingly little or even nothing to make societies happier, they wonder, what works better? Good health? Marriage? Sex? By one reckoning, boosting the frequency of sex in a marriage from once a month to once a week brings as much happiness as an extra $50,000 a year...

USC football team has tough foe in its image - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
It unquestionably was a budding dynasty, a team that went from uncharacteristic mediocrity to unparalleled success. Now, after months of being embroiled in one player controversy after another, USC's football program is at a critical juncture.

When players return to the field one month from today, the biggest challenge will be proving they can recover from the turmoil that threatened to derail their reign. A number of college football observers say USC can move on with relatively little damage if the Trojans go about their business...

For Bush, charity comes before deal - New Orleans Times-Picayune
...many say that what Bush has done so early in his career is unusual. He hasn't signed with the team yet, hasn't run the ball even once, but already he's woven his way into the fabric of stricken New Orleans charitably, in part because of his high visibility...

...Bush said what he is doing is real and heart-felt, and not just a plan...

..."My motivation? I wouldn't look at it as me jumping into it and getting in a hurry," Bush said. "It's in God's plans. I've been blessed in my lifetime to be successful in football and in coming here to the state of Louisiana, if you have the opportunity to help out in a city with so much need, why not? It's a blessing to be in position to do things like this...

Also, Saints RB Bush reaches out to Slidell residents - NFL News

Mixing Business With Pleasure - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...The symposium kicked off Sunday with a panel discussion that included San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman and former USC linebacker Lofa Tatupu, now of the Seattle Seahawks.

This after a series of skits simulating life as an NFL rookie along with introductory questions like, "Have you been asked for money since joining the league?"

Tatupu noted how "your family suddenly gets a lot bigger when you're in the NFL" in reference to the growing number of people hitting him up for cash.

Both second-year pros spoke of the incessant temptation brought about by women, Tatupu saying, "It's like on a kickoff return, you just have to keep your head on a swivel."...

USC expected to be kings of Pac-10 again - Athlon Sports
The common theme west of the Rockies is that USC is recruiting on a level that’s so much higher than anyone else that it’s just not fair to the other schools. Coaches from across the region agree the Trojans pretty much pick the players they want.

So how loaded are the Trojans?...

...The Trojans have so much depth, and at nearly every position, that even though they are unproven at key areas, recent history says they are the team to beat. USC has won the last four league titles and has won 23 straight games within the conference...

Also, Athlon Sports 2006 All-Pac-10 Teams - Athlon Sports

Hampton fest gets new director - Seattle Times
There will be no more first-place trophies for Seattle high-school jazz bands at the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival.

That's the word from John Clayton, new artistic director of the education-centered festival in Moscow, Idaho. Clayton accepted the post this week.

"There is no such thing as 'the best' trumpet player," said the bassist, band leader and past-Grammy Award nominee, from Los Angeles...

No stranger to the Northwest, Clayton was appointed artistic director of Jazz Port Townsend two years ago. Clayton also teaches bass at the University of Southern California and co-leads the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, whose new CD features vocalist Diana Krall...

L.A. Avengers re-sign FB/LB Lonnie Ford - OurSports.com
Fullback/linebacker Lonnie Ford and the Los Angeles Avengers have come to an agreement on a two-year contract that will keep the veteran in Los Angeles through the 2008 season, head coach Ed Hodgkiss announced today.

Ford (6-foot-2, 260 pounds, USC) has spent all four of his seasons in the Arena Football League with the Avengers. He is the team's all-time leader in every rushing category with 500 yards and 28 touchdowns on 140 carries...

..."Lonnie has been with us for a long time and has proven himself as one of the top fullback/linebackers in our league," Hodgkiss said. "He's also a leader on this team and we are very excited to lock him up for two more years."...

[Miller] LenDale White is back with bite - OC Register
...LenDale White smiled and, for just a moment, it looked like he hadn't brushed his teeth in a while. At least not since he ate that tiara.

The former USC record-setting runner isn't a vegetarian, but these days he has a mouthful of karats.

"Worth probably $26,000," White said...

...Made of diamonds and gold they are, the removable bridges - both upper and lower - that White now wears on occasion. Covering most of his visible smile, they are less dental work than mental quirk, a symbol that gives White a certain psychological boost.

They are crowns, in the absolute truest sense...

Rooms filling up for USC - Arkansas News
Every day, procrastinators are adding miles and minutes to their game-day drive for USC-Arkansas football.

Such is the penalty for putting off reserving rooms for the Sept. 2 game.

More than two months out, almost 3,700 hotel-motel rooms are sold out in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Lowell, and Johnson. Working north, Allyson Twiggs, director of the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau, is booking rooms in Bentonville. Next in the widening arc is Van Buren, almost an hour southwest of Fayetteville...

[Mandel] Head man hierarchy - CNNSI
...A year ago this week, in an attempt to lull Mailbag readers out of their midsummer comas and submit some questions, I came up with a list of the 10 best and five worst coaches in the country. Suffice it to say, the rankings worked a whole lot of people into something of a frenzy...

...My top 10 coaches heading into the 2006 season

1. Pete Carroll, USC: I find it pretty amusing that some people have chosen to blame Carroll -- specifically his ill-fated fourth-and-two call -- for the Rose Bowl loss to Texas. The guy won 34 straight games, people. I don't think he suddenly forgot how to coach with two minutes left in the Rose Bowl...

Boys Swimmer of the Year: Palos Verdes' Kevin Graner - Daily Breeze
...In a way, Kevin Graner and the Palos Verdes swim team have developed hand-in-hand for the last four years.

The Daily Breeze Boys Swimmer of the Year has left his imprint on the Sea Kings and a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

"The only thing I can say is that it's just amazing to know that since I've been team captain, we've won four consecutive Ocean League titles and a CIF championship," Graner said...

...But living in glories past isn't one of Graner's goals, as he prepares to swim for USC next year...

[Layden] Sunday storylines - CNNSI
...as I bring new eyes to the nation's Sunday pastime, I'm curious about a few things:

1. The Bush-Brees show in New Orleans

Three years ago I sat in USC coach Pete Carroll's office after a Tuesday-afternoon practice. Carroll, then in his first year in Los Angeles, was scarfing down dinner and swilling Mountain Dew, watching tape of the day's practice. Hidden among the budding stars on the tape was a running back wearing jersey number five. "Reggie Bush," Carroll said. "Watch this."

There are few things in my business like seeing the genesis of greatness. In any sport. On this evening I watched Bush run half a dozen plays with USC's second and third offensive units. Twice he ran the wrong play altogether, a common freshman mistake. Twice he wasn't a factor in the play. Twice he made my jaw hit the table...

Also, Bush remains evasive over possible lawsuit - San Diego Union-Tribune

Color back on sidelines - Maryville Times
...Gosh, it looks like a college football game was meant to look: our colors matched against theirs.

Why not the boring, generic white the NCAA decreed 36 years ago when contrasting the teams on back-and-white television screens was a major concern?...

...the NCAA never has come around to rescinding the rule..

...At long last, the rule may be on the way out, a change initiated by a decision UCLA and Southern California made to ask the NCAA for permission to wear their colored jerseys when they play late this season...

Getting reel about football - VC Star
Saturday afternoons rank high on Samson Szakacsy's favorite moments during the high school football season.

Sure, the game's over. The aches and pains from Friday night's contest are throbbing like a set of drums...

...But, for now, grandfather Dale Jackson is waiting for you with the tape of the latest game...

...Armed with ideal size, a strong right arm and a commitment to attend USC, the 6-foot-4, 198-pound Szakacsy will enter the 2006 season considered among the top quarterbacks in the state...